Loughborough Hospital (Phase II)

The new Phase 2 of the Epinal Way Hospital would not have been achieved without the government's investment programme. I believe we will also see a gradual transformation in primary care in Loughborough with further investment. Community hospitals, like Loughborough, cannot provide full A&E departments because of all the different specialisms that are needed and only available in big teaching hospitals like the LRI. The Minor Injuries Unit as well as the NHS Walk-in Centre have been and will be retained at the centre of the town, with necessary back-up services such as X-ray.
Looking at the wider picture, as you know we are putting record levels of investment into the NHS, and we know too that cash alone is not the answer - modernisation, increased standards of cleansing and reducing inefficiencies are parallel priorities. Thanks to the increased funding, however, there are more beds for patients and we have both the wonderful Walk-in Centre and our new £10million hospital on Eopinal Way. But remember, also that the next three years will see the real step change in increased funding - linked firmly to reform. After 18 years of the Tories, the NHS we inherited lacked sufficient hospital beds, staff, buildings, and equipment. IT systems were out of date and too few people were being treated. Years of chronic Tory under-investment in the NHS had taken their toll. I think we were all shocked at just how bad things had become. So, to pretend we can achieve higher standards without the cash is just as silly as to think we can do it without focusing on efficiency. There has been £3.7million for the LRI A&E department and 9,000 more doctors since 1997. Twelve new hospitals have been opened, with 56 more on the way. The NHS Plan and the Bill going through Parliament gives much more freedom for local decision-making, based on efficiency.

Last updated March 2003